1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith,
than an house full of sacrifices with strife. 2 A wise servant shall have
rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance
among the brethren. 3 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold:
but the LORD trieth the hearts. 4 A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips;
and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. 5 Whoso mocketh the poor
reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be
unpunished. 6 Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory
of children are their fathers. 7 Excellent speech becometh not a fool:
much less do lying lips a prince. 8 A gift is as a precious stone in the
eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth. 9 He
that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter
separateth very friends. 10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than
an hundred stripes into a fool. 11 An evil man seeketh only rebellion:
therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. 12 Let a bear
robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly. 13 Whoso
rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. 14 The
beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off
contention, before it be meddled with (Prov 17:1-14)
It is very evident
that riches with turmoil is not a very pleasant way to live. Oftentimes, men
are pleased to live in misery as long as they can have wealth at any cost. If
wealth does not bring comfort and peace, of what good is it. We have all seen
rich men who horde their wealth and live like paupers. They later die as
paupers and leave all the wealth they have horded. So what was the good of it? 1 Better
is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with
strife. This verse has direct relationship to another: It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling
woman in a wide house. (Prov 21:9) It is not likely that the brawling
woman always attends wealth, but the circumstances of misery she creates often
does. Of course, there remains another value of quietness that is often
overlooked, especially in prayer. We make our petitions to God in a
laundry-list format, and do not hang around in quietness to hear his response.
"Be still and know that I am God" He counsels. (Ps 46:10a)
2 A
wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part
of the inheritance among the brethren. The pride of a father for
his son is that the son carry on the good name and reputation of the father. If
the son fails by bringing shame and disrepute upon the father’s house, the
father will less view him as a son than a hired hand who is industrious and
honorable. The offspring of a duck should swim and quack like a duck. That
hired hand will take most of the position of the son and shall be treated as a
son. Sonship with God is not based on the DNA of our blood, but the makeup of
our hearts and souls.
3 The
fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the
hearts. All things considered of great value must be tested for
purity. Both gold and silver have a worth that is intrinsic to their natures.
These two metals have other values as well for uses in manufacturing and
medicine. It is man’s option as to what values other than intrinsic the two
metals possess. But the innate and intrinsic value is assigned by God. The same
is true of humankind. Our worth as laborers or professionals is acquired
through external factors, but God looks upon the heart to assess our value.
Both gold and silver are found in the natural state alloyed or mixed with other
elements. Neither gold or silver are worth much when they are less than pure. The
Refiner must heat the gold or silver as much as seven times to separate the
dross from the pure metals. This is a trying time, but the end result enhances
the product metal many times over. So do trials in this life enhance our value
to God and our fellow men. As God refines our natures (sanctification) the old
stubborn and sinful habits gradually fall away and the sterling character
shines through. The central point is that we must all be tried and refined
constantly in this life as we grow ever nearer in faith and love to Christ. If
there ever was such a process as the elusive alchemy of the centuries past,
that would be God who changes the nature of lead into gold.
4 A
wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty
tongue. Why is it that the man of wicked behavior and a man of a
lying tongue both give heed to false counsel and lies? It is because they are
of the same nature. Like natures attract just as magnets of the same metal
attract. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will
draw all men unto me.
(John 12:32) When we are born anew of the Spirit, our basic natures are
changed. This new nature causes us to be drawn ever closer to our Lord.
5 Whoso
mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall
not be unpunished. The great scales of heaven will bring all things
into balance in the process of time. One bad deed begets an equal or greater
repayment. To ridicule and chide a cripple or an orphan is to condemn the very
thing that God has made. Did He not make the cripple and the orphan after His
own image in the same way that He made all men in His image? Those who take
pleasure in tragic events to others shall experience the same terror at their
own door.
6 Children's
children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
Those of us who have grand children can immediately and fully understand this
principle. The grandchildren are our ‘glad rags’ as the rural folk of Alabama
say. We take inordinate pride in our grandchildren who are far brighter and
more attractive than any thus far born of woman. But a son or daughter, not yet having established
themselves, must rely upon the worth of their fathers for respectability. How
proudly a young child points to his father as if everyone else can clearly see
his superiority as the model man.
7 Excellent
speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince. First
of all, we do not hear excellent words coming from the lips of a fool. If we do
so hear them, we account them as foolish because of the one who uttered them. A
prince should reflect the virtues of his father, the king. Are we not sons and
daughters of the Almighty King? If so, are we not princes and princesses from whose
lips the lie should never escape. We should quit ourselves in a manner
befitting the title we own as Christians.
8 A
gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it
turneth, it prospereth There is a special value attached to a gift
beyond its real value whether great or small. It has cost us nothing to
acquire, and it has been given from a free and loving heart to us. I have read
that the good will that influences the gift turns a mere pebble into a diamond.
What about the gift of salvation? It is free to us but cost the Giver His
life-blood. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the
righteousness of one the free gift
came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:18)
Regardless of how we view that Gift, it grows in value in our hearts.
9 He
that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter
separateth very friends. Do you know that God seeks love from us.
He loved us first, and He looks for a reciprocation of that love given. In
fact, He gave His last ounce of love to us. Shall we reject the Gift? The Gift
of love that God has given covers our sins just as the skin of the first
innocent animal to die on earth covered the sins of Adam and Eve in the Garden
eastward at Eden. The blood of Christ covers our sins and transgressions. God
has promised not to remember our confessed sins any longer. But our Archenemy,
the Devil, seeks to accuse us all the daylong of every jot and tittle of sin.
He makes a minor indiscretion appear as a great and terrible sin through the
whispers of his covalent minions.
10 A
reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
How sadly true is this! A discrete word is all that is necessary to correct a
gentleman, but a thousand reprimands fail to correct a fool. He is a fool
because that is his nature, and he chooses to be a fool. He suffers throughout
life for being foolish, but he blames his predicament on the shortcomings and
unfair treatment of others – never himself!
11 An
evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent
against him. The wicked man is a natural rebel against the moral
order of the universe and its moral laws inculcated by God. He never rebels
against sin, however. Because he seeks out that against which to rebel, a
multitude of troubles overwhelm him. He gets what he seeks without even knowing
it – Hell on earth.
12 Let
a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
That is going a far distance to describe the undesirability of mixing with
fools. Of course, the mother bear, robbed of her young, will be a ferocious
threat to physical life; but a companionship with fools may lead to loss of
soul and life eternal.
13 Whoso
rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. “To
render good for evil is Divine, good for good is human, evil for evil is
brutish, evil for good is devilish.” - Trapp. To quote Jonathan Lawson: “The
most striking illustration of this sentence, is the history of the Jewish
nation. Never was such ingratitude showed to any benefactor, as they showed to
the Son of God, and never was the punishment of any people so dreadful, and of
so long continuance. That scattered people proclaim to every nation under
heaven how dangerous the sin of ingratitude is, especially when God our Saviour
is the object of it.” Jesus came bearing gifts of such divine and eternal value
that no reimbursement could be made – but that is the nature of the gift. The
haters and despisers of God threw the gift back in the face of the Giver and
crucified Him as a reward for His kindness. My poem describes my thoughts on
the matter:
Night in the Garden
By Bishop Jerry Ogles
Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the
chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and
weapons . John
18:3
Out
of the darkest Halls of Hell
Came
the marchers with torches raised.
Into
the Garden quiet and still
They
wandered forlorn and crazed.
Up
to the Sovereign Lord of Love
Their
spears shining bright in the mist
With
arrogant air and a hateful shove
They
took Him who wouldn't resist.
Now
to the head of Scribe and Priest
Was
the Savior led that night,
And
to Herod's Court and Pilate's Seat
Where
Right gave way to the Night.
To
the craggy heights of the Lonely Skull
They
took Him and laid Him down
And
into His Hands of Love they drove
Iron
spikes with a terrible Sound!
And
His flesh was torn and bruised.
His
Heart of Grace grew cold and sore
As
the Spirit of Life was loosed.
The
world of woe a Hope has found
In
the Promise made sure by His Death
And
the Saints of God with Faith abound
In
the Fields that their Lord has blessed!
14 The
beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off
contention, before it be meddled with It is sure that once the leak
is allowed, the flood shall follow. One word of contention provokes a response.
The response provokes a more bold counter-response, and so on. Speak with
calmness and wisdom, and weigh your words for effect. Reasonable persuasion is
worth far more than vigorous contention.
